


Smouldering In The Ashes

by RavenFire2908



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Demi God Dream, Friends to Enemies, Gen, Kidnapping, Mind Control, No beta we die like illiterates, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Sapnap-centric (Video Blogging RPF), The Badlands, Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), phoenix sapnap, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:02:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28382940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenFire2908/pseuds/RavenFire2908
Summary: Phoenix!SapnapSapnap could feel the warmth in his chest, the aching reminder of his coming regeneration. Dream knew this as well, and with that information came a mighty power. Sapnap knew what it entailed, and he doesn’t want Dream to use that power in his power-hungry state of mind.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 145





	Smouldering In The Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> (I saw a lot of Blaze!Sapnap, and thought, why not phoenix)
> 
> If enough people find it good, I might write a second chapter - a continuation, if you will...

He remembered the first time Dream had seen his regeneration, Sapnap knew it was coming, but not so soon. The man, in the middle of their playful manhunts, had burst into flames, combusted before the Demi-God’s very eyes.

From the ashes, he’d risen as a bird, flaming wings flaring as he screeched; mind blank of memories as fire began raining down in the savannah. The lands were covered in ashes and the burned carcasses of dead animals too slow to flee when Sapnap’s mind caught up to his actions.

Dream had stared at him, gaping in awe as Sapnap returned to the ground. The moment of horror and amazement was cut short when Dream’s swarm of questions fell from his mouth. 

Sapnap had been happy to answer as many questions as he could.

After all, they’d only been childish and curious questions.

At the time they were at least.

\---------------

Sapnap tilted his head, staring at the glowing vein on his neck, the low glow pattern similar to that of lava from the nether trailed slowly up his neck and behind his ear. He pulled the neck of his black sweater over the visible veins. 

The regeneration would only be a few days away at most, hopefully, tensions would be low in the few days he’d have to hide away deep, deep in the nether. 

His bag was already packed, some of his most treasured possessions; just in case some idiot decided to try to rob him while he was away, and some spare food for the journey. 

He pulled on the fabric around his neck, feeling the fabric soak up the sweat around his neck. As much as regeneration felt like a being freed of all illness and pains, it was a tiresome road. His body grew hotter, he’d wake up in his bed soaking wet from sweat and had to carry around change of clothes. His head felt foggy as well, his vision blurring unexpectedly and his hearing suddenly gone. Some nights he’d decide to fall asleep on ice blocks to cool himself off during the night, only to wake up in the middle of the night on the floor.

Pulling his armour on, Sapnap left the cool shade of his home, the sun’s warmth felt like nothing to him as he walked the familiar path around the SMP looking for anyone to hang out with or bother.

He halted as the path led him past L’manburg, the nation’s citizens enjoying their day in the sun, market open with people selling whatever produce they’d managed to gather. People smiled and chatted. Sapnap glanced back to the sun, soaking up the refreshing glow before continuing his stroll past the unassuming city. 

That was until he spotted Dream sitting on a cliff, his legs dangling over the edge. Their gaze met momentarily before Dream turned back to the bustling movements on the wooden platforms of the city. 

Sapnap stopped behind the Demi-God, a good few feet between them. 

Dreams words during Tommy’s exile rang in his mind, he didn’t want to believe them. 

“You’ll be leaving soon, I presume.” Dream said finally, not looking away from the people of L’manburg. Eyes caught on the young President himself strolling about his people, unafraid of repercussions or cruelty against him. Tubbo greeted people as if they were his friends before his subjects.

“I will,” Sapnap said after a pause, his own gaze caught on the young President speaking to someone and laughing with them. “I’ll take my leave tomorrow, go into the Nether until it’s over.”

Dream stayed silent, glancing over at him. He sighed loudly, “Okay,”

Sapnap waited, waited for him to continue, or ask him where he had been before. Or ask him for a favour or anything… It wouldn’t be the first time. He was about to leave, standing straight and turning when Dream spoke again, “Join me for dinner tonight?”

Sapnap blinked, “Just us?”

“Yeah,”

That was unusual, they didn’t really eat together anymore, not since all this warfare started. And if they did, Dream would invite all the people of his SMP; Punz, Eret, Callahan, Ponk,  _ George _ . Sapnap pondered the request, watching Dream for another moment as the Demi-God continued to watch the mortals of L’manburg beneath him.

“Okay?” Sapnap answers, he takes a step back as he says it. A churning knot forms in his stomach, unlike the ones caused by his coming regeneration, those he’d just vomit to and be done with. 

Sapnap keeps his eyes on Dream as he leaves, taking careful steps as he steps back onto the wooden path, he can feel eyes bearing into his neck and he knows its Dream. Staring as if he can see the magma beneath his skin.

He breathes a sigh of relief as he vanishes from Dream’s line of sight, silently giving his thanks to the mass of land hiding him. He rolled his shoulders for a moment, taking his time to breathe. Dream’s gaze could be suffocating, and he could never tell what the Demi-God had in mind; his eyes hidden behind the mask.

Dream was and had always been, hard to read.

Even throughout the millennials, he’d known him.

Even when Dream didn’t wear a mask when the young Demi-God of Chaos had found him in his human form in the Nether. Not the ideal place for wandering children after all. Dream had thought him some kind of Blaze creature, some kind of fire hybrid, Sapnap had just been too shy to tell him at the time. The young Demi-God had taken him from the Nether, through countless worlds and dimensions, watching and creating chaos before jumping to the next.

It had been fun.

It had their fun.

Then they found their home, the SMP. A place they could return to after burning down villages and bothering people all day. 

That’s when they’d met George. A mortal. Who had not given a second glance as they wreaked havoc, maybe that’s what drew them in. Maybe that’s what made them all so great friends, while Dream lived for chaos, and while Sapnap burned the world on his fingertips, George would be there as a solid rock; something that couldn’t be driven away by mischief and bad pranks. 

No matter how feral Sapnap became when the flames burned in his eyes, George would laugh- And scream in horror as Sapnap chased him down as if he was actually going to murder him.

Sapnap snapped from his thoughts as someone threw themselves into him. He barely had any time to register Karl’s form before the talons ripped from his fingers to cut into his attackers.

“Hey!” Karl yelled in his ear.

Sapnap laughed, “Hi!”

“You didn’t hear me, you nimrod! I yelled for you like five times.” Karl laughed.

“Sorry, I was spaced out,” Sapnap said.

“I figured, come on, I have to show you something,” Karl said, grabbing his hand. Karl paused, looking down at their hands, “You’re really hot, are you okay?” He asked.

Sapnap laughed, his voice betraying him as he stuttered out, “I-I- I-Aren’t I always hot?” 

Karl barked a laugh, “You are! Anyway, come on!” He dragged him off.

\---------------------------

Sapnap sat across from Dream, sweat dripping down his sweater. He drank down another glass of water as the two ate in silence. The food was bitter, he’d say, definitely something he’d cook better himself. The two had shared an unusually small amount of words since they’d gathered in the minor dining hall.

Sapnap took a breath, sighing loudly as he put another piece of beef into his mouth. He took a moment to really taste it, it was really bitter. “What's-” He drew Dream’s attention as he spoke, “What’s with the seasoning? It’s really bitter.”

Dream shrugged, “Don’t know, mine’s bitter too, I thought maybe the chefs were just trying something new tonight.” Sapnap nodded, something felt off. 

The knot in his stomach hadn’t gone away since Dream’s surprise invitation, it’d only grown. Anxiety had crawled on his neck as he’d made his way to Dream’s house, the mansion hidden by Dream’s own abilities. 

Sapnap took another sip of water.

“Why did you invite me to dinner, Dream?” Sapnap asked, breaking the low hanging silence that hung like a cloud above them.

“Can’t I invite my best friend to dinner every now and then?” Dream asked, lazily cutting into his steak. 

“You want something,” Sapnap said, “You’ve been different recently, a hundred years ago I hadn’t blinked at this invitation, but you’re not the same as you were back then.” The words stung in his throat.

“Oh really,” Dream drawled as if Sapnap was spewing nonsense. 

“You’ve been different, Dream. What happened to that friend who brought me with him across dimensions just to watch the world burn.” Sapnap paused, his eyes catching Dream’s, his mask was gone for the evening; at least giving Sapnap the presence of his face. “What do you want?”

“You know what I want, I’ve said it to you over and over, over the years; over the centuries.”

Sapnap drew back, straightening in his chair. He could swear Dream was becoming more and more blurry, his vision slowly darkening at the edges. He stifled a yawn.

“Tired?” Dream asked, leaning forward on the table, resting his chin on the back of his hands as he smiled at Sapnap from across the table. “Been a long day, hasn’t it.”

Sapnap blinked, his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier with each blink. He reached for his glass, the glass slipping between his loose fingers and tipping across the table. He reached out, desperately trying to grasp the glass as it fell, his hand splashed into the little puddle of water, the water immediately boiling around his fingers. 

Sapnap groaned as he slumped, he tried holding himself up. He met Dream’s gaze again. 

He was too calm for this.

“What did-”

Dream clicked his tongue and winced with the force of Sapnap’s head slamming into the table. He glanced at his best friend’s hand, the water still boiling around it, the glowing magma in his blood peeking out from the hem of his sleeve. 

Dream cut another piece of steak, popping into his mouth as he chewed slowly. His own steak was quite tasty as he thought about it.

\---------------------

Sapnap woke with a groan, the foggy sound of people arguing bothering him as he turned over, trying to fall back asleep. He frowned as he was met with hard obsidian beneath his face. He frowned and pried his eyes open, something that turned into a task rather than a basic bodily function.

His head pounded and his ears hurt as he tried to look around the place he was in. An obsidian pit of some sort, The top edges lined with crimson wooden fences and warped wood. 

Unburnable, his mind whispered.

It was dark in the pit, lit by some invisible light source. He couldn’t see any torches or glowstone or fire for that matter. He shifted from his side and sat up. 

His mind reeled as he remembered what had happened. The dinner with Dream.

His food had been drugged, he’d fallen face-first into the oak table, Dream had watched and done nothing as he fell unconscious, his involvement obvious as fire in a dark cavern.

Sapnap licked his lips, he was sweaty, he reached for his neck to loosen the hoodie fabric, only to be met with nothing. He glanced down at himself, dressed in his transformation gear, a simple fitted black jumpsuit made from fireproof material. His headband was still tied around his forehead, his hair was damp and oily, falling limply over his face.

Sapnap stood, his bare feet surprisingly cold against the obsidian.

“Hey! He’s awake!” Sapnap looked up, the familiar face of Antfrost appearing between the crimson wood bars. “Hey, good morning, you’ve been sleeping for some time.” He said.

“What the heck…” Sapnap muttered.

Bad and Sam peeked over the edge beside Ant. “Hey!” Said Sam with a smile.

“Uhhh… What’s happening?” Sapnap asked.

The three looked at each other, Sam shrugging and Bad throwing him a few strange expressions; it appeared only the two above the wooden barrier could decipher. Ant rolled his eyes, “You’re in this jail and we have to make sure you don’t escape.” He said.

“ANT!” Bad cried.

“What?” Ant turned to him.

“You could’ve phrased it better,” Bad mumbled.

“I’m not sure there’s a better way to tell someone they’re in jail, Bad.” Sapnap interrupted, “Why am I here though?” 

“We don’t know, we were just told to keep you here.” Said Sam.

“By who?” 

The three paused.

“Was it Dream?” Sapnap asked. Their lack of response answered his question. “It doesn’t matter, I have to leave! How much is he paying you, I’ll… I’ll double it!” He yelled, knowing full well he could never double whatever Dream had given them as their deal.

“Doubt that,” Said Bad softly. “Listen, Sapnap, we don’t know why Dream wants to keep you here, we just know he paid us well to keep you here. Dream wouldn’t keep you here without reason, I doubt it’ll be for long.”

“We’re here for the time being so we’ll keep you company too.” Sam smiled at him, Sapnap almost wanted to believe that smile.

They had no idea what was coming. 

The fire burned in his chest. 

“Can I have some water at least?” 

\-------------------------

It felt like multiple hours. Multiple hours of trying to fall asleep on the obsidian floor, of playing ‘rock, paper, scissor’ with the Badlands,  _ winning countless times _ , and one of them running back and forth with buckets of water that he gulped down within seconds.

“That’s your seventh bucket of water and you have yet to ask for the bathroom,” Bad said, his voice laced with either shock or confusion.

Sapnap met his gaze above the rim of the bucket, keeping eye contact as he gulped down the water. He dropped the bucket on the floor, feeling the cool water in his body, a vain attempt to prolong the inevitable.

Sapnap was resting against the cool wall of the cage, listening to the Badlands soft banter above him. When the soft clicking of metal against stone echoed in the distance. Sapnap opened his eyes and stared ahead, feeling the familiar choking gaze from Dream’s mask as he peered into the cage.

The Badlands had gone silent, they too were watching Dream.

Sapnap tilted his head, staring at the mask, “Not liking what you see?” He taunted, knowing full well Dream was waiting for him to combust. Which he also knew could happen any second. His last bucket of water was running thin on keeping him cool.

Dream said nothing but stalked the sides of the cage. The two held each other’s gaze until Dream vanished behind the edge of the cage.

“Don’t give him any more water.” He said to the Badlands, who remained silent for a minute.

“He looks sick,” Said Bad quietly.

“He’s meant to,” Answered Dream. Sapnap snorted, throwing a curse his way, immediately followed by Bad’s repercussion. Dream ignored his retort, “I’ll be staying for the remaining time, you can take your leave if you wish to.”

“Why did you have us watch him?” Ant asked.

“He looks pretty sick, I doubt he would’ve been able to escape at all,” Sam muttered, apologizing as Sapnap cried out in his own defence.

Dream tilted his head, he didn’t like being questioned. They knew this. But the man let out a long breath, his shoulders tilting as he looked over the edge of the cage, staring down Sapnap’s softly glowing neck.

“You can stay and see, if it bothers you so much.” He offered.

The Badlands decided to take their leave, leaving with a chest filled with their payment. Sapnap watched them leave, each one throwing him a glance of pity or concern; he couldn’t tell.

“So what now, Dreamy boy?” Sapnap drawled, his throat was filling with heat, making his voice rusted and lighter. 

“I wait.” Dream said.

And wait he did.

\-----------------------------

The combustion happened suddenly. Sapnap rested against the warm obsidian, the stone heated enough to cook food on if he had any. His stomach growled once before his insides finally blew.

The inferno spread across the room, exploding through the wooden fence, burning the unburnable. The crimson logs fell to cinders around him as Sapnap’s body tore itself apart. A cry of pain turned into a screech as he felt himself smoulder into ashes.

The fire burned brightly in the room, catching onto anything within reach. Even Dream. Dream stood among fire and smoke watching the transformation, his own magic keeping him unburnt by the flames.

Ash coated the bottom of the former cage, now only a pit of cindered obsidian.

Dream assessed the cage and whispered, “Phoenix fire melts obsidian…  _ interesting _ .” The fires in the pit continued to burn beneath him and his eyes locked on the smouldering shape that had once been Sapnap’s human body.

The body, burnt to the bones, lay unmoving before the ashes and fires moved around it.

Sapnap’s skeletal hand peeked out through the ash as if his human body was asking for help. Dream walked around the cage, coming closer and closer to where the ash slowly moved to surround his friend.

His phoenix.

Before Dream could take another step, the ash shifted, fire returning from its depth. A long feathered neck rose from the ground, followed by a swan-shaped body. Wings of red and orange feathers flapped from the ashes, shaking the fine dust into the air. Dream coughed at the lack of air in the room, suddenly afraid the fire would eat it all and die out, but his fear diminished as the head of the bird shook off the ashes.

Five tails followed the bird, each tipped with a blade, and the bird looked at him, its long beak sharp as the blade on his back. 

But it was still Sapnap’s eyes that met him.

Yet, Sapnap was nowhere near in control.

The phoenix stepped from the ashes closing in on Dream with sharp eyes, eyes he recognized in every predator animal he’d ever seen. Sharp and hunting for its prey.

But Dream was never the prey.

Dream reached into the pocket of his sweater, gripping a collar he’d gotten made for this occasion. The golden collar with a single enchanted diamond in its centre flicked in the light.

Dream threw himself at the bird, arms closing around the neck. He felt Sapnap’s beak wrap around his leg, throwing him away with unreasonable force, he slammed into the obsidian wall, now smooth and slippery from the sudden heat that had melted its surface.

Dream drew his crossbow, a weakness arrow nocked and ready, he aimed carelessly. The phoenix body doubles the size of a horse,  _ it would be hard to miss _ .

The phoenix flaps its wings screeching as it takes off into the air, flying above him with sharp black talons mere inches away from his face. The blade tipped tails flutters around, catching fire at random as it scrapes against the walls of the room.

Dream bites his lip and fires the arrow. 

The phoenix screeches as the arrow pierces its neck, the beak turning and immediately biting around the wood and rips the arrow from its mark. Magma pours from the wound.

But the effect has set in, the familiar grey swirls around it.

Around Sapnap, Dream reminds himself.

He jumps at the bird again, the effects of the weakness arrow keeping the bird still as he wraps the collar around the base of the neck.

And the bird goes still, well almost, it flaps in the air for a moment. Sapnap’s eyes vanish into a milky white sheen and the bird lands, folding its wings and resting in the ashes.

“Finally.” Dream whispers with a sly grin as he jumps onto the back of the bird.

\-----------------------

“Have you seen Sapnap?” George asks suddenly, Dream glances over from his seat in the grass. The two held their gaze on the world beneath them, people muddling about unassuming and oblivious.

“No, he said he was going to the Nether and staying there for a bit, I don’t know when he’s coming back.” Dream crosses his arms behind his head and falls down into the grass, sighing softly as he closes his eyes.

“Alright,” George says, and lets it go.

\----------------------

Sapnap could see, and feel, and hear, but he couldn’t control. His body lay limp in the ashes of his obsidian cage, now decorated with golden and whatever those enchanted diamonds were. He couldn’t resist Dream’s commands as the Demi-God made them.

_ Walk across the cage. _

_ Fly as high as you can. _

_ Burn the wood. _

_ Lie down. _

It had been weeks and his human body refused to form. He was trapped in his own body, in his original form.

Memories of ancient times, when this form had been his only one. He remembered flying wildly around the nether, killing and feasting on ghasts and magma cubes. Piglins fleeing from the mere sight of him.

When he was the hunter, among the most powerful beings in the Nether realm.

Then something had happened, something had shot him down from the air, landing harshly in soulsand. Someone screamed behind him, and someone died. 

He remembered the hunters, men who thought themselves strong enough to kill him, burnt to a crisp and cut to pieces. One of them had done something to him, an older woman with a book in her hand, she spoke in a language he couldn’t understand, and she died with the language on her lips.

He’d woken again in a different form, a human child. And he’d wandered the Nether alone, running from mobs, a defenceless child. Until he met Dream, who pulled him from the nightmare.

He’d thought he owed Dream for a long time.

But Dream wouldn’t do this to him, his Dream wouldn’t cage him in like an animal, trap him in his bird form and force him to bend to his will. This wasn’t his Dream, Sapnap reminded himself.

This wasn’t his Dream, he reminded himself, as this impostor put a metal bit in his mouth and climbed onto his back and flew him from the gilded cage. To rain fire on whoever had stood against him.

Sapnap wished he couldn’t see it.

It was the first time in his life that he hated his fire.

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: I opened and closed this piece, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to continue this if I get a separate idea I might make a series or something idk, sorry!


End file.
